Uptown Girl
by Mitsukai20
Summary: AU. Sanada Genichirou has a good life. He has a job as a cargo boy, good, trustworthy friends... watching the 'flower girl' across the street with the greatest ass he ever seen in his life... Alpha, Platinum, Kinky. Rikkai-centric.
1. Chapter 1

Hey girls, Mitsukai here again for another ongoing fic. Goddammit Mitsukai, finish your other fics before you start another one! *shot*

Anyway. This thing here was inspired by, as you saw from the title, Westlife's song, 'Uptown Girl', the Final Fantasy VII franchise, real history, and a shot of LSD. That, and I had a dream about Zack!Sanada meeting Aerith!Yukimura via falling through the ceiling as the original characters did in the game. So. After waking up, I was totally "SHIT! Plot bunny!" and this piece of literature was born. I don't understand my mind sometimes.

Their characterizations here, while keeping close to the PoT-canon, is going to be somewhat different because the way they were raised in this fic is different. So, expect swearing, OOCness, and all that jazz. This is one of the more self-indulgent fics I had stored up, so don't kill me if it isn't your cup of tea. This is AU too, so don't expect the normal Japanese honorifics. So, disclaimers, not mine, and enjoy. *bows*

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><p>Ochre eyes watched a figure from the corner of his eye, not moving from his place where he perched on a stack of crates, one foot resting lightly on the edge of the wooden box, a tanned, muscular arm resting nonchalantly on his propped knee, a hand stretched out behind him to give him some leverage. His intense, ruggedly handsome look earned him many admiring gazes from the girls passing by the crowded street, his gaze never wavering, though he was still watchful of his surroundings, half expecting to be called back in the pier to work again.<p>

"Oi, Sanada, stop spacing out." A purposefully heavy smack on his tucked in thigh sent his whole leg dangling down with the other, and he quickly looked down, sending a glare at a bleached-blond male who only grinned infuriatingly, knowing that he had broken the sitting teen's concentration.

"Niou, what the hell?" He cursed the other teen loudly in his head, trying to search again for the person he had been looking at covertly for quite some time over the past few days. "I thought that you're helping then unload the cargo."

"Been there, done that." Niou looked at his cuticles interestedly, before looking up and smirking wickedly at his friend. "Traded with the new brat for a couple of hours. You know he's been looking for a chance to upstage you. Puri."

"Akaya?" Sanada rolled his eyes. "He's a hundred years too early, but he could try." He gave Niou a level look. "And you know he can't carry that much yet."

"Hey, I gotta let the brat try it for himself." Niou shrugged back. "If he's lucky, he'd be able to carry all those stuff into the warehouse without breaking his back and tripping over himself."

Sanada only grunted his reply, resuming his original position again; relaxing his body as he finally saw that person once again, never leaving _his_ original position in the intersection three blocks where the two of them were standing. He really wasn't worried about any possible competition in the line of his work; he doubted if there was anyone who could carry two full grown oxen with their bare hands and not break a sweat over it.

There _was_ a reason he was called the 'Emperor' among the pier boys, after all, and no upstart, cocky brat would be able to take it away from him.

"Hey, Sanada! Where are you looking at, you asshole?" Niou, who had been talking for some time and had just realized that the other teen wasn't even _listening_ to him, scowled and also looked towards the direction the dark-haired teen was constantly flickering his eyes over on, and felt a shit-eating grin crack his face slowly as he recognized who his coworker had been looking at.

"Holy _shit_." He let himself blow out a low whistle of appreciation, smiling cheekily when the older teen finally noticed and gave him a death glare. Ignoring the murderous look, Niou craned his head higher, almost leveling with Sanada's head as he confirmed his suspicions right.

"Pupina… You're mooning over the _flower girl_." Niou started to cackle, snorting louder when Sanada's cheeks turned into the slightest shade of pink, ducking a well-timed swipe at his head as he laughed his guts out.

"I am _not_." Sanada grumbled a protest, which would have been more convincing if he had been looking at Niou instead of the 'flower girl'. "And don't call him that, he's not a girl."

"But he usually doesn't mind when he's being called that. The kids by the pier call him the 'pretty big sister with the pretty flowers'." Niou continued to snigger, noticing the way Sanada's eyes lit up at the information. "He's a pretty nice guy too. Always giving more than most people paid for."

"Wait… you've _talked_ to him?" Sanada asked, unable to mask the incredulity in his voice. Niou could be terribly anti-social if he wanted to, opting to stay in his circle of the 'cargo boys' and the people who work by the pier, which was both a good and a bad thing, since he never brings trouble to other people, but brought _worse_ problems with the people he's working with.

"No shit, Sherlock." Niou shrugged it off like it was nothing, guffawing internally at the sudden spark of jealousy in Sanada's eyes. "He's the flower girl on this side of the city, 'ter all. What, you think I'm gonna go to a fucking _florist_?" Niou made a gagging face. "'Sides, 'Roshi told me he liked 'Mura's flowers best."

Sanada resisted another urge to roll his eyes at the mention of Niou's on-and-off boyfriend… fuck buddy was more like it. Only hell knew how they both met each other. Yagyuu Hiroshi was the illegitimate son of the person they're working for, and if their boss knew that one of his laborers was screwing with his son, they're fucked. In more ways than one.

"'Mura?" Sanada asked, having processed the sentence in his head, earning an 'are-you-stupid' expression from Niou.

"_'Mura_." Niou slowly enunciated the word, as if he was a teacher talking to a five-year old. "His name. The flower girl. The one you're stalking. Whatever you want to call it." He further elaborated. That got him a knock to the head, but he was still grinning as Sanada brooded over the new information, once again taking a glance at the 'flower girl'.

"… You know; if you're interested in him, better make a move soon." Niou told him idly after a few moments of silence. That got Sanada's attention.

"What makes you think he's interested in guys? And don't me that damn look," Sanada scowled at Niou, who was starting to form the aforementioned 'are-you-stupid' look on his face. "I'll give you 20 lbs. more to carry." And Niou knew that Sanada would damn well make good on that promise.

"Well hell, I would be surprised if he went after girls!" Niou laughed. "He sells _flowers_." His tone dripped 'duh'. "And 'sides," He observed the blue-haired male more carefully, leaning in for a conspiratorial whisper, which Sanada surprised himself by actually getting closer to listen in. "I heard that he likes his men strong. Strong and buff, with the abs and shit." Niou squeezed the curled bicep, which was highlighted by the sleeveless t-shirt Sanada usually wore when working. "You're definitely his type." The bleached teen affirmed, his tone turning smug, even when the taller teen raised his eyebrow in disbelief.

"There you are!" A sudden voice interrupted their conversation, and the two of them turned to the direction where the voice came from, their vision meeting curly black hair and piercing emerald eyes. Kirihara Akaya folded his arms and scowled at the two of them, who were clearly not doing any work, looking very much like a girl waiting for her boyfriend if not for the fact that his body muscles are bulging slightly under the form fitting shirt he wore.

"Hey pipsqueak." Niou grinned, while Sanada hopped off the crate with the grace and the ferocity of a mountain lion. As much as he wanted to just stay there and waste the hours looking at the 'flower girl', he knew that duty was calling him.

Besides, his break was over already.

"Bossman wanted you two in the pier. A new ship just came in." Akaya's green eyes looked challengingly at the older raven, who had slipped once again into his usual mask of hardassness, ignoring the other male completely, who was whistling a completely merry tune.

-/-

Sanada grunted as the last crate greeted the dusty floor of the warehouse, moving his neck left and right to alleviate some of the tension on his neck and back, having transported at least one-fourth of the ship's cargo by himself. Damn it, it was the third ship this afternoon, and with any luck, more would come later in the day. He had to fight the smirk off his face as he remembered their devil brat trying to balance two barrels in his arms, like Sanada did effortlessly. In a ridiculously good mood, he made to go outside again, just to see if the beautiful 'flower girl' was still there.

"Genichirou, good work." A voice said from somewhere above him, and Sanada looked up, watching a tall, brunet male descend down the steps of the warehouse.

"Renji." Sanada stared in slight surprise. "I thought you're with your old man."

"I managed to convince him to let me stay." Yanagi Renji (or Lord Yanagi as his father insisted they call his son) was the first son of the person they're working for, the half-brother of Yagyuu and Sanada's best friend. Despite the fact that he was a rich kid, the pier boys accepted him as one of their own, being the person who had brought them jobs in the first place, and occasionally helping in the loading and unloading of cargo himself. "Father wanted me to oversee the goods anyway."

Unlike the other teens in Yanagi's status of nobility, he was down-to-earth and good-natured, though he freaked them out sometimes by suddenly saying a weird percentage or another which would turn out to be right. He was never afraid to get down and dirty, frequently spending time with the dock laborers after dark, always rising to the challenge of a drinking contest or a brawl, and ultimately respected and treated all of them as human beings, not like the spoiled brats who turned their noses up at them and walked past without as much as a glance.

Sanada made a non-committal noise, massaging his nape as the tension on his body slowly disappeared. "And he's not arranging your marriage anymore?"

Yanagi smiled slightly and shrugged. "As a matter of fact, there _has_ been a discussion on my potential fiancée." He arrived at the bottom of the staircase, looking at the stacked crates with interest. "In fact, the trip today was supposed to be my first meeting with her."

This was one of the times that Sanada was glad that he wasn't born into such a high status. Despite him knowing that Renji and his family was one of the nicer aristocratic families, nobles in general had less than savory reputations, even Renji's father who caused a scandal by having another son (Yagyuu) out of wedlock.

"Ah." Sanada really didn't have to say anything to that, as he silently watched Yanagi inspect the cargo, once in a while glancing at the sheets of paper he had with him. "How's Niou?" Yanagi asked casually, changing the topic completely.

"Hell if I know." Sanada remembered the conversation he had with his coworker and had to stop himself from scowling openly in front of the other male. Yanagi was also terribly perspective, instantly knowing more than anyone else let him on for, and that was the last thing Sanada wanted. "Didn't you ask your brother?"

"Hiroshi is very secretive about his love life with Niou." Yanagi answered with a wry smile. "He manages to tell me enough, of course. It's terribly obvious that he's very smitten with Niou." Even with the fact that the conception of Yagyuu Hiroshi tore the Yanagi family apart, Renji didn't blame his younger brother one bit, and the Yanagi siblings adored their half-brother, with the brunet always quipping that he had always wanted a younger sibling, even though he and Yagyuu were merely a few months apart. "I always see him staring fondly at the white flowers Niou manages to give him." And Sanada could clearly see that Yanagi approved of his younger brother's relationship with another man, no matter how wrong it seemed in the eyes of the world.

Sanada wasn't the one to gossip about his fellow workers, but he found this information very intriguing, and he'd be damned and if he didn't hear all of it. "So they're not just…?"

"Friends with benefits?" Yanagi finished his question in that uncanny way of his, making Sanada nod, already used to it already. Fucking would be the more appropriate term he was looking for, but Sanada had to remind himself that Yanagi was a noble, and thus wouldn't resort to such crass language. Not usually, anyway.

"No, it's not just a onetime relationship, I'm sure." The brunet answered matter-of-factly, at last done with all the checking and inspection. "Niou is just as smitten with my brother just as Hiroshi is for him." He walked outside the warehouse and immediately Sanada followed, walking side by side as Yanagi greeted all of the other workers genially, receiving good natured cheers in return while ribbing Sanada for a bit, which the raven returned with a scowl.

"How can you be sure?" Sanada asked the moment they were alone again.

Yanagi gave him a feral smile that Sanada was sure was meant to be threatening than assuring. "I wouldn't let Niou near him if that was the case."

Sanada was thankfully saved from further conversation as a mop of curly black hair approached where they were standing, and eventually Kirihara Akaya came into view, chest heaving, breath puffing out as emerald green eyes flashed pointedly at Sanada, not even noticing their boss beside him as he glared darkly.

"Where the hell have you been, you asshole?" Sanada rolled his eyes as the younger teen cursed at him, not really the person to enforce respect when he really wasn't the type of person to give a damn about it. He did worry about Yanagi's reaction, but when he saw that the brunet was openly amusing himself, he remembered that Yanagi was used to it.

"Didn't your mom tell you to don't butt in when two people are talking, brat?" He scowled back and heard Yanagi's chuckle beside him. "Especially when you're in front of your boss."

"What the hell are you talking abo–" And when the younger raven finally saw the tall lord and by all technicalities their superior standing there with them, he choked and scrambled back as quickly as he could, falling flat on his ass in his haste as he stuttered.

"Shit! I didn't know–Sorry boss, I… argh, damn it, I really–" Yanagi, still chuckling, bent down and raised his hand to help the younger boy up. "No, it's all right. Are you all right?" He asked, smiling kindly. Akaya's face seemed to spontaneously combust as he nodded and meekly took the older teen's hand, as he, for the first time, was at a loss for words.

"That's good." And with a strength that wasn't expected to be shown by a willowy body, Yanagi pulled him up effortlessly. "Renji would be just fine. And I don't think I've seen you around here before. What's your name?"

"K-Kirihara Akaya, sir." The younger raven squeaked out, and Sanada had to restrain the smirk that threatened to break out from his face as the brunet turned on the charm and the teen that was supposed to be completing against him turn into a puddle of goo. "Renji, don't flirt with him. He's still young." He called out, and Akaya seemed to jump ten feet as he gave Sanada a dark look behind his flushed cheeks. Renji looked up, a twinkle in his closed eyes, and let Akaya go.

"Genichirou, that was rude." Yanagi admonished him lightly when Akaya finally made his escape. "I was trying to get to know him better."

"If you're anything like your old man I would say that you're trying to romance him." Sanada grunted. "Renji, he's _fifteen_."

"And we're seventeen. Hardly an age difference, if you ask me." Yanagi pointed out, and Sanada had to resist the urge to bang his head onto something hard. Sometimes felt so stupid when he talked to the lord, and he wondered if Yanagi intentionally did it to annoy him.

"Genichirou, I have a request to ask of you." The words were so sudden, and Sanada was to blink twice before he could understand it.

"Depends on that kind of request it is."

"It's simple, really." Yanagi wasn't looking at him, but at the direction Akaya sped off to. "Can I ask you to buy a gift for me?"

Instantly Sanada became suspicious. "A gift?" He asked slowly, as if making sure that he was hearing the noble correctly.

"I suspect that I'll be meeting my fiancée tomorrow. Father hasn't said anything, but, judging by his moves, he'll surprise me by having her come over. But I'll be busy today with the shipments coming in. Flowers, maybe?" Yanagi suggested lightly, not seeing Sanada's slowly blanching face. "Yes, flowers. You could never be wrong with flowers." He nodded to himself, turning to Sanada with a small smile on his face.

"Can I trust you with this, Genichirou?"

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><p>... I know you're gonna kill me for butchering Sanada's personality, but I can't help it. Like I said, this is a self-indulging fic, so don't scream at me on how this is morally wrong and all that. My uh... *coughs and blushes* lover was insistent that I back to writing again because uh... that person told me that it would be a waste of my talents.<p>

... You'll get the full story next chapter...

So, in chapter 2, our favorite cargo boy finally meets the 'flower girl', and more mishaps, and a lot of budding romance will happen among our favorite crew of pier boys. I don't know how long this fic would be, but I'm hoping for the best.

Read and review eveyone.

**_Mitsukai20_**


	2. Chapter 2

Consider this a late holiday gift for you, girls. Seeing the reviews that I have for the first chapter (and I'm currently listening to Uptown Girl right now) really inspired me to write another chapter for this one. Again, I will remind you that fic might be OOC, because I used different characterizations for the Rikkai pier boys and without saying anything more, I present to you, the second chapter.

Warnings and Disclaimers: First chapter.

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><p>Sanada cursed Yanagi Renji loudly and very crisply in his head, blaming him for his current predicament. If not for the fact that he was his boss and his best friend, he wouldn't have bothered.<p>

But, then again, he wouldn't get another chance like this, and resolved to merely beat Yanagi within an inch of his life before coming out of the place he was lounging in (no, not _hiding_) for the past half hour.

He was immediately swallowed by the crowd coming and going from the street, though his great height and his lean body somewhat made him noticeable as he approached the intersection. Some gave him a second glance, interest seen in their features, but he neither knew nor cared, more intent on making his legs move without making them shake visibly and not trying to embarrass himself in the throng of people.

What the hell was wrong with him? It was unlike him to feel this… _apprehensive_. And it's not like he's in a life and death situation right now, he had participated in brawls before and heck, sometimes he was even the one who stared it! He was badass! He was called the _Emperor_, goddammit! He could very damn well approach _him_ without getting cold feet over it! His resolve strengthened with that thought and he strode forward, adrenaline pumping in his veins as he pushed against the crowd and finally arrived at the place he was supposed to be at.

He was barely five feet away from _he_ was standing, and this was the closest he had come to actually seeing him face to face, and whatever description Niou gave _him_ did gave the man some extreme injustice.

Well.

Hot _damn_.

The 'flower girl' was even more beautiful up close. The 'flower girl' didn't seem to notice Sanada's steep drop in general intelligence as he turned around and, seeing his new customer, gave the raven a toe-curling smile that made _something_ churn at the pit of Sanada's stomach.

"Hi. How can I help you?"

The 'flower girl' was still looking at him. Sanada, through the grace of whoever god up there that he felt like worshipping right now, somehow managed to raise a couple of IQ points to articulate, "I need a bouquet of flowers."

"Ah," The 'flower girl' gave a slow, understanding smile as he bent down and arranged the profusion of different colored flowers sitting by his feet. "Any particular color or kind?"

Sanada had to stop himself from staring as the 'flower girl' bent down, displaying a magnificent posterior that had him gulping thickly. _If you were a flower, I'd say _you, his abruptly sewer-worthy mind immediately supplied with a small smirk, and Sanada shoved it quickly away, pummeling it into utmost submission until it was left whimpering, mentally scowling at his thoughts. He was definitely not a pervert, and he wouldn't start now, thinking about the question. Well, Renji didn't tell him any specifics, so he supposed that Renji would be okay with anything. "Any would do." Sanada watched as _he_ plucked out a couple of the most beautiful white flowers he had ever seen (in his own opinion, and his opinion very damn well counted) and covered it with some pages of a newspaper, tying it up with a ribbon.

"If you don't mind me asking," The 'flower girl' handed over the bouquet to him, and Sanada made sure to take it with as much as care as possible, "Who is this bouquet for? Your girlfriend?" He asked with a smile.

"What? N-No!" The raven teen denied all too quickly. The last thing Sanada needed was for him to get the wrong idea. "It's for my best friend's fiancée."

Now the 'flower girl' raised his eyebrow slightly at that, a hint of another smile on his lips and Sanada immediately flushed and blanched at the same time, a very odd combination that turned his face into a pale red, realizing how bad that sounded. "I didn't mean it… that way." He countered lamely, watching the other teen chuckle a bit, making his cheeks tilt more to the side of rosiness, wanting to just disappear from the face of the earth at that very moment.

Oh, he was definitely going to kill Yanagi for this.

The 'flower girl' was still chuckling. "I'm sorry for teasing you." And to make up for it, the other teen plucked a different colored flower (pink this time) and tucked it in along the rest, smiling apologetically. "I couldn't resist."

Sanada didn't trust himself to reply, his brain cells haywiring the moment the blue-haired teen chose to lean in close. He must be either blessed or cursed by some god up there, as it was the only explanation he could come up with: he was in the presence of the most beautiful person in all of mankind and he was just standing there and _not saying anything_. Hell, he considered himself lucky enough to exchange a few words with him, but to have him close enough to smell, to almost _touch_ even, it was almost too much.

Then the human angel decided to give him a dazzling smile that could have eclipsed the sun.

"I don't think I've seen you here before, and I'm usually good at remembering faces. What's your name?"

"It's Genichirou. Sanada Genichirou. And you?" Later on Sanada would ask himself how he was able to ask that second question, but his brain proceeded to melt as the other male pressed close, his eyes widening as the blue-haired 'flower girl' chuckled near his ear.

"Yukimura Seiichi. Come again, okay?"

There was no power in the universe that would've made Sanada say no.

-/-

"Sanada and Yukimura sitting in a tree, F-U-C-K-I-~!"

"Finish that song and I swear to god I'll kill you." Sanada growled, giving his deadliest glare to Niou, who only shrugged it away, grinning, while the others who saw that glare immediately took a step back, though they knew it wasn't directed at them, though it lacked its usual venom. Usually, when Sanada looked like that, people run away screaming for their lives.

"So," the bleached teen started conversationally, grunting as some load was placed on his back, "How was it?" The smirk on his lips looked anything but friendly.

Sanada could still feel the way those lips pressed against his skin. Instantly he could feel the blush coming up, and he was sure that Niou noticed it. Was it just a figment of his imagination? But it felt so real, he was sure that those eyelashes brushed against his temple…

"I'm not about to tell you." Sanada felt extremely… giddy. He still didn't know how he was able to leave that place without tripping on his two feet, or how he was able to come back to the dock for that matter. He passed by his coworkers, who chortled and whopped when they saw him, since it was particularly hard to maintain your reputation as a hardass when you're toting a bouquet of flowers with you. After unceremoniously dumping the requested gift to Yanagi, who only gave a knowing look that unsettled Sanada greatly, he returned back to work, and was now currently being harassed by Niou for information about his 'tryst' with the flower girl, or so Niou named it.

"Puri. You're not really going to tell me anything?" Niou wheedled more, and Sanada glared back, telling him pointedly without words to _shut the fuck up_.

But, apparently, the platinum-blond lacked the ability to read facial expressions, or simply chose to ignore them.

"Not even a little bit?"

Sanada exhaled a breath and decided that he might as well get it over with. Niou's not going to stop pestering him at this rate.

"He…" He touched his fingers to his face, pink once again creeping in as he recalled that single moment.

"He kissed my cheek."

Niou let out a low whistle. "Hell, Yukimura must've liked you more than I thought!" He guffawed, a smug-as-hell 'I told you so' tone chipping in with a gleeful leer. Sanada scowled, appraising a look at Niou's load and wondering if he could add more to it without risking anybody seeing him do it. But, then again, it was thanks to Niou that he found out a little bit about the flower girl–Yukimura, his mind instantly thought it vitally important to remind him every second of the day–and Yanagi that he got to interact with him for the first time.

It still didn't stop Sanada from wanting to kill them, however. Yanagi, he will maim just a bit. Niou, he will throw into the sea with cement and lead attached to his legs.

A bit comforted with that thought, Sanada scoffed a little in pride, lifting his own load and walking away from the dock, with Niou following in tow. "So you're still going to see him?" The silveret prodded on, and Sanada found himself nodding. He can't help but feel a bit accomplished, once the embarrassment faded away, that he got the flower girl to notice him. You just don't randomly kiss people the first time you see them, and, for Sanada, if it were any other person, they would've found their face kissing concrete before they even tried. But if it was the flower girl, _his_ flower girl, then Sanada would be willing to make an exception.

It could be the start of something special between the two of them, and he sure was hell wasn't going to waste that chance.

"Hey! Baby!" Niou's loud, joyful voice reached his ears and pulled him out from his trance, seeing the aforementioned 'Baby' just a ways in front of them, just exiting the warehouse where they were supposed to put down their load. Yagyuu Hiroshi stopped and looked in their direction, and seeing his lover, his cheeks took on a delicate shade of pink, especially since everybody was in hearing range of the silveret teen.

"Masaharu," he started to lightly scold the other the moment the two became near enough for them to hear him. "Just a second," Niou quickly interrupted, bypassing the young lord and entering the warehouse, placing his load down on the nearest flat surface available. Sanada followed suit, but not before giving a curt nod of acknowledgement to the brunet, who also nodded his greetings politely.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Niou went out of the warehouse and casually slung an arm around the brunet's shoulders, grinning at him, not really caring if he was sweaty and dirty, and that he was ruining the young lord's clothes. But Yagyuu didn't seem to mind, in fact, it only served to make the brunet flush darker, but really didn't try to pull away from the warm, muscular embrace. Sanada rolled his eyes behind their backs, biting the urge to tell the both of them to just go and get a room somewhere. Yagyuu, despite everything, was still in a higher class than them, and if some militant asshole would hear him then he might just find himself behind prison bars.

He had to be careful now. He had a flower girl to pursue a relationship with, after all.

"Renji asked me to oversee the workers in his absence," Yagyuu explained in a calm, respectful tone, casually leaning on the silveret's side as they walked towards the dock, the raven behind them and hearing their every word. Sanada liked him, he was quiet and efficient when he would take over when Yanagi was gone, much like his older brother, but acted less like a bastard than the literal person himself. The workers didn't know Yagyuu as well as they knew Yanagi because their boss was overprotective of his youngest (and illegitimate) son, but he was still welcomed there, nevertheless. They made way as their superior passed by them, giving out cat-calls and whistles to Niou who looked like he had just won the lottery. Niou merely smirked back in victory and gave a taunting glance to his co-workers. "I'm afraid that Renji is meeting with a family friend right now. It was surprising, though that he already had a gift of roses already at hand." The brunet didn't say it, but Sanada could hear what was really happening: Yanagi was being bullied again by his old man into taking a wife.

Unlike the aristocracy, they in particular didn't really give a damn on who you saw, slept or living with. It was an open secret among the pier workers that not all of them walk the straight road (pun intended) and as long as you do your job and you don't fuck around with anyone (both figuratively and literally), as far as they were concerned, you're fine. There was none of that 'you're both males/females and god's going to condemn you to hell' shit. It was hard to live as it was, and as long as you're a cargo boy, you're accepted as a brother, and they always stick to and for each other, no matter what.

And besides, it's not like Sanada was going to let anyone stop him from seeing his flower girl.

"Puri. Tough shit." Niou snorted, stopping when the other did, watching him go over the shipment from one of the usual customers today. "I'd feel sorry for him, but since it brought you here, I'd have to reserve my pity and thank your old man for that." He grinned wickedly, and Sanada was surprised that his eyes weren't trained heavenwards permanently. Fuck, sometimes he wondered on how Niou became a friend of his.

"Niou, don't be an asshole." The raven felt the need to defend his best friend, being the person who orchestrated his first meeting with the flower girl and all.

"Geez Sanada, don't tell me that you have a stick up your ass again." The silver-haired teen turned to him with a raised eyebrow and Sanada suddenly felt a sharp sense of foreboding, especially when those teal eyes became noticeably wider as a mischevious glint appeared in them.

God_dammit_.

"Hey Hiroshi~" He all but purred out the brunet's name, pulling the other teen closer so he could breathe into his ear. "Do you know that Sanada over there is in love~?" He jerked his thumb over to where the raven was, a smirk coating every particle of his face, almost making the raven-haired teen step back as his face slowly turned a shade whiter. That _son of a bitch_. Sanada immediately realized what Niou was doing and tried to stop it, recognizing that voice all too well, and when he did, it usually didn't go over well, especially for him. Yagyuu looked piqued at this, and Sanada really wanted to throw Niou into the sea at that moment, never mind that his boss's son might hate him for it.

"Niou, say anything, I'll kill you." He threatened, not really wanting to spread the news of his recent interest in this side of the town's flower girl. Not that he was ashamed, but because the other cargo boys might also find his beautiful flower girl interesting and he'll be damned before he would let anyone steal Yukimura Seiichi away from him.

"Purina~ You see, Hiroshi, that guy over there," He nodded in Sanada's direction, wicked-looking enough to replace Satan himself. "He's been planning to see this person lately. You know Yuki, right? The flower girl I've introduced to you? Well, lover boy here," He went over and clapped a hand on the broad shoulder, making a black eyebrow twitch considerably. "Has finally spread his wings and has finally decided to pursue the girl of his dreams. Oh, I feel so proud right now," Niou made to remove an invisible tear from his eye, "My little Gen's growing up so fast…!"

Sanada didn't know on whether he wanted to strangle Niou to death or just wither away from that spot. He knew that his face was already in a strange combination of red and white, both embarrassed and angry, and he could definitely feel a vein pop when Yagyuu turned to him and gave a sincere, congratulatory smile.

"Oh, so you're finally interested in someone then?" He said, nodding with a small smile on his face. "Congratulations Sanada, I wish you the best of luck in your romantic endeavors."

Motherfucker, Niou was _dead_. Dead, dead, stone cold fucking _dead_.

"Niou." He could hear the quiet grinding of his own teeth.

"Yes, sweety pie?" Niou was once again looking at his cuticles and grinning up at his infuriated friend, his elbow resting on the other's shoulder.

"I'm giving you time to run. Because, if I catch you, God help me, I'm tossing you in a barrel and feed you to the sharks. My apologies, my lord." He said stiffly to Yagyuu, who merely nodded in understanding and gave his unspoken consent.

"Just don't hurt him too much, please." He requested lightly, and Sanada would try his best to adhere to that. Key word being tried. Niou pouted at his lover, already cautiously taking a step back. Damn it, he went too far this time, and god only knew that Sanada was going to do to him. Sanada was a man of his word, and Niou really didn't want to see how thorough he could really be.

"Baby, you're not siding with me in this one?"

"_Two._"

"Fucking going!" He yelped, sprinting up to the lord and placed a noisy kiss on his cheek, smirking at the sudden flush that appeared on the brunet's face. "Catch you later baby!"

"TARUNDORU! NIOU!"

And the rest of the pier was treated to the sight of their most capable cargo men chasing each other all around the harbor.

* * *

><p>And now we have the appearance of Sanada's flower girl, Yukimura, and Yagyuu, Niou's 'baby' and some sweet platinum loving. I'm not to sure on what to write on the next chapter of this one, but I already have ideas, so stick around, read and review, everyone.<p>

Oh, yeah, I promised you the story of my... lover. *coughs* Damn it.

Okay. So. As of this moment, I now officially announce to the world that I'm not currently walking the... straight road. My ex-girlfriend and I have broken up of peaceful and friendly terms, and she has made good on her promise, as was stated in my story, _Music of the Night_.

... Please derive your own conclusions from that. *blush*

_**Mitsukai20**_


	3. Chapter 3

I... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS. THIS IS JUST, I CAN'T EVEN...! S-Seriously, I really don't know what to say. I didn't expect something like... THAT on my account. I nearly killed him when I found out that he used it without my permission but he claimed relationship immunity and I couldn't do anything to hurt him. First I would to apologize for any trouble Rei might've caused you *glared darkly at said person*. Please forgive him because he's an idiot who doesn't know any better than to bother people.

... But I also felt... really flattered. THANK YOU. Thank you so much for all of the kind words you said. Really, it meant a lot to me to read all of that. I really couldn't be thankful for all of you girls who took the time and patience to read through my work, and my gratitude couldn't be expressed in words. And... I'm also... glad that you approve of him. I will admit that at first I felt so insecure and hesitant about our relationship. It was my first relationship with a guy, and it just felt so new and unfamiliar that I didn't know what to do and screwed up a lot. But Rei was just so... patient and understanding. He taught me to love and be loved in a way that's both different and similar at the same time. I don't know if that made sense, but that's how I felt.

And I realized that I've reached 50 stories. WOAH. I never expected that too. I know that thanking all of you again and again could be tiresome, but I really couldn't find anything to say but that. AS a token of my sincere and heartfelt gratitude, I offer TWO oneshots, once for those who have reviewed for my 50th story, Lightwaves, and another one to the girl who has taken the time to message Rei and I on his story, Together. The first two to message me will get the oneshot, and those who know my methods would know what to write about.

Back to this story, again, it's somewhat OOC and such. Warning and Disclaimers are the same as they'll ever be.

* * *

><p>True to his word Sanada came back to the flower stall after a few days had passed. Finishing his work as quickly as possible he ran out of the pier as if the devil was on his ass, quickly blending with the crowd, briskly walking to the familiar intersection where he knew the pretty flower girl was working. Well, he might have been the only one thinking that, but Sanada refused to think pessimistically for the first time in his life, not when he finally had something to look forward to.<p>

Niou wasn't there when he set off, something he was thankful about. As per the orders of Yagyuu he couldn't do anything to the platinum-blond once he caught him; he merely settled for dragging him off and pitching him bodily from the pier, but nothing could really keep his mouth shut, and Sanada wouldn't be surprised if every worker by the dock already knew his infatuation with Yukimura Seiichi. He also saw Yanagi on his way out, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding at the knowing smirk the lord gave him. The man was definitely on to him, and he would rather drink seawater by the gallon than tell him the small, intricate details. Yanagi was a good friend, one the Sanada trusted with everything he had, but he would rather not give the brunet ammunition for the relentless teasing he knew would come, _thank you very much_.

Besides, he had a nagging feeling that Yanagi already knew. Nothing escaped that bastard.

The intersection was already visible by the distance, and he slowed his walk, wanting to look like that he was just passing through instead of racing against time and the apocalypse itself. It wouldn't do to look _too_ eager now. He mussed up his hair, smoothened down his shirt, somewhat feeling like a girl on a first date, but keeping his face calm and composed as he strutted through the avenue like he owned it.

He was at the intersection when the other male had finally spotted him. "Oh, you're back." Yukimura saw him and smiled, holding a pot of flowers, and Sanada was immediately taken in by the sight of his hair tied up and an apron around his waist. Suddenly Sanada had a vision of a simple, two-floor house, surrounded by a white picket fence. It would have a garden at the front, with lots of children playing in it, cute, pigtailed girls with blue hair and eyes, strapping young boys with black hair and brown eyes. They'd have a lot of kids, of course. And the front door would open and his beautiful flower girl would come out, wearing a pink, frilly apron, kissing and welcoming him home as Sanada came back from work.

Hmm. That looked good, Sanada agreed very much with his impromptu fantasy. Very good.

"I was just passing by." If there was a siren for calling out bullshit, it would've crowed loudly. Nevertheless, Yukimura looked happy to see him, and if those blue eyes running up and down his body were of any indication, he would think that his flower girl was checking him out. It was a good thing then that he wore one of his tighter shirts that day, even though it was a bitch to move around in. It highlighted his muscled, toned body, and he was aware that he wasn't hard on the eyes, far from it actually. So when it came to impressing someone he liked, Sanada definitely pulled out the big guns. He stopped and stared at the flowers with faux interest, despite knowing horseshit about them. There were a bunched up together, and there were lot of colors, though Sanada couldn't see neither head nor tail of them.

"So did your friend like the flowers?" Yukimura placed the pot near his stall and turned back to him, smiling kindly. "I picked the best ones since you mentioned that it was for his fiancée."

"Yeah. He liked them a lot. Thanks for that." Like he would know. Sanada had heard the perfunctory words of gratitude from Yanagi, but other than that he hadn't bothered to listen more. Suddenly he wished that he id Sadid, so there was something more he could tell the flower girl, now that they lapsed into a somewhat awkward silence.

"… So… Yukimura…" Fuck. He didn't know what to say. And _god forbid_, but Sanada was now kind of regretting that he didn't ask Yanagi or Niou for some pointers. God knew the both of them were too charming and manipulative for their own good. And instead of _chasing after underage boys_ and _seducing sheltered young lords_, like _some_ people he knew, it would be better if they put their excessive, panty dropping charm to good use.

Like helping him, for one.

"Hm? Oh, just Seiichi would be fine." The flower girl waved off the more formal name. "Can I call you Genichirou too?" He asked, lips tilting up, taking off the apron and bending down to look at his plants. "If you don't mind, that is."

Mind? Why on earth would Sanada _mind_? "No, that's fine with me." His name sounded nice on Seiichi's lips. It felt… right. But it would sound even better if it was breathless and a little bit husky, moaned out in pleasure as he thrust– no, Sanada quickly shook his head at his abruptly sewer-worthy mind, blushing a little. While it was a nice little thought he shouldn't be too ahead of himself. He didn't even know if the flower girl even swung that way, disregarding his initial conversation with Niou.

"I see a lot of people always walking around here enough to know their faces, but it's the first time I've seen you around." It was Seiichi who started conversation, arranging the flowers once more before turning back to him. "Where do you work, exactly?"

"Hmm. I work on the dock by the pier, usually loading and unloading cargo for the Yanagi's." Only the aristocratic and royal families had the money to buy and fund trade ships, and the Yanagis had it down to an art. It was their main source of wealth, the reason why Yanagi to the nth senior was knighted in the first place. And the dock had different ships and galleons coming and going every day, and while Sanada worked originally and primarily for the Yanagi's, he also dabbled with the other lords' cargo if they were short on hands.

"Oh, is that so?" The flower girl's tone was impressed, "It sounds like a very hard job. The Yanagi's?" He made a little thoughtful sound. "I know a few that also work there."

… They did? Then why in the seven hells did he not hear of the flower girl until _now_? Sanada grumbled at the thought. Well, it was likely that he was familiar with Niou since the other teen mentioned his name while he only discovered the flower girl only a few months ago, when he was sent on an errand and had to go into town for it. Sanada wasn't ashamed to admit that he had literally stopped and blatantly stared when he had gotten to the intersection, seeing Seiichi for the first time. He was handing over a small cluster of flowers into a little girl's hands, smiling and softly patting her head, talking to her with such gentleness. It was an image deeply burned into his brain with such startling clarity, and it was decided that Sanada would fall for him, right then and there.

He didn't offer a comment, afraid that if he rattled off names Seiichi would recognize a name and tell him that he was interested in that guy. He was _not keen_ on sharing Seiichi with _anyone_. "Well, I've worked there since I was twelve, so I'm pretty much used to it. It's not that hard, really." Sanada concentrated instead on the praise given to him.

"Carrying heavy things every day? I don't think I could handle it." Seiichi gave a small smile back, the admiration clear in his blue eyes, and it made his heart lurch sideways in his chest. Fuck, the flower girl was _beautiful_, and what the hell was he doing here, trying to make conversation? Sanada thought with a sudden shot of anxiety. "And you started so young too."

Sanada cleared his throat to dispel some of the tension he was feeling. He had to play cool, since he was not almost certain that he had the flower girl's interest, if that look in his eyes was anything to go by. His cheeks were starting to feel warm, and it was only through sheer will that he managed not to blush. "I had to. You don't really get a lot of choices when you run away from home."

"You ran away?" Seiichi paused in his work to look at him, now visibly concerned. "What happened?"

Sanada shrugged. It was an old story, one that he didn't mind telling to people who wanted to listen. _Especially_ if it's a pretty, blue-haired, flower seller who was asking. "I'm the younger child in the family. And they didn't have any use for me since my older brother had everything. So I ran away." Well, that was the short version of it. Sanada wondered what Seiichi would say if he knew about the constant beatings, the mental abuse, the slaughtering of his self-esteem. The one chance he had to turn back from that kind of life, he took it and never looked back. And damn well didn't regret doing it. "I could tell you the whole story, but it would take a while."

Seiichi studied him, absentmindedly stroking the petals of the flower he was holding. "I see…" He said in a tone that told Sanada that he wanted to know more, but wouldn't pry. "So then," his lips tilted up again, considerably lightening up the mood. "Tell me something about your work. It must be interesting to see what kind of things the ships bring back here."

"I never had the chance to know, since they were all stored in boxes." But he could guess what could possibly be inside it, and mostly his guesses turned out to be correct. Yanagi made it sort of a game whenever he got the chance to go down to the pier during the night, making someone take a long shot if they guessed wrong. Which reminded Sanada that he should take Yukimura to one of their after work get-togethers after they've known each other for a while. "But it's pretty much usual stuff: food and necessities and stuff. But sometimes they have some valuable things shipped in, like gold and silver." It was one of the more delicate cargos, and only a select few were allowed to unload it, himself always included. It had something to do with the fact that he was actually trustworthy and was known by everyone. It was a _bitch_ to unload though, being heavier than most things being brought in.

"Hmm, I wish I could've seen it. I've never been to the pier before." The flower girl's tone had a wistful edge in it, making Sanada jerk his head up and look at him. Was this it? The chance he was waiting for?

"You haven't? Why not? The pier's just a five minute walk from here." But he still couldn't suppress the surprise in his voice. Being a seaside town there was little one could do to avoid the ocean, and this was the first time Sanada had heard of someone who hadn't seen the dock before.

"I couldn't afford to lose a day of work." Seiichi shook his head, now sounding a bit melancholic. "I'm the only one who works in our family. My father is dead, and my mother is sick and needs to take care of my younger sister." He laughed a little, looking pensive, the thoughtful look making Sanada keep his gaze at him, unable to look away. "It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I've never seen the sea before." He blushed lightly, and Sanada was slightly dazed at the sight. "We live inland, and I haven't gotten the chance to explore the whole town yet." He nodded to the opposite road, where Sanada knew led further into the town capital and into the other places in the country. Truth be told, he too hadn't been able to look at the town completely ever since he had started to work as a cargo boy, too engrossed with working to keep himself alive.

"Then let me help you."

The words were out of his mouth before he could process it. Sanada hadn't realized that his mouth was now completely dry, his heart threatening to jump to his throat as the idea continued to spin wildly in his mind. It couldn't hurt, right? And apparently Seiichi hadn't expecting it either, because now the flower girl was looking at him with those large, blue headlights, so stunned that he wasn't able to move. Sanada would've appreciated it more if he wasn't so concentrated on what he was saying.

"I'll come by and help you sell flowers." What the hell was he _thinking_? He didn't know jack about selling anything but the words just keep rushing out. Sanada knew that was running his mouth off, and found that since he had gotten this deep, he figured that he should just go on with it. "We'll make twice the amount you make in a day, so you could have some time to enjoy the town afterwards." He probably sounded like an idiot right now.

"But…" Seiichi hesitated, after the initial shock had run off. "Your work…"

"They'll live without me for a day." Or two. Maybe even three. He hadn't taken a day off ever since he started five years ago, and he figured that asking for a short vacation wouldn't be too much. Hell, he deserved a half a year off for all the work he'd done, and he was only going to ask for a few days. Yanagi wouldn't be that much of a bastard to not allow him. "Don't worry, I'll arrange it with my boss."

"Genichirou…" Now Seiichi was staring at him as if he was a new species of sea life, mouth hanging open and his flowers all but remembered as he gaped openly, still in suspended disbelief. Seeing the expression, Sanada wondered if he had been too pushy about the matter.

But as he thought about it more, the more Sanada realized that he_ wanted_ to do this. It might be outside his comfort zone, but he couldn't just let his flower girl's simple wish pass by if he could do something about it. He wanted to see Seiichi smile and be happy, to give to him things and experiences that he had probably never had before. Seiichi deserved everything the world had to offer, and Sanada wanted to be the man who could show him that and more.

He had deserved it the moment Sanada saw him smile.

In a sudden rush of adrenaline Sanada moved and reached for the other teen's hand, holding it lightly in the chance that Seiichi didn't want the contact. But, thankfully, the flower girl didn't move away, continuing to stare openly. "Please." His voice was quiet now, trying to convince Seiichi that he was very serious. "I really want to do this." Calm, determined topaz bore into wide, doe-eyed sapphire, completely unmindful of where they were, gazing at each other as if they were the only people in the world.

His words seemed to startle Seiichi back to reality, as he blinked and looked up at him with a mixture of awe and wonder, as if he was looking out into the world for the first time. Suddenly his skin flushed, cheeks stained with bright pink, Sanada found that he rather liked that look on his flower girl. He kept silent, waiting for the other teen to make his decision.

"… Yes." Seiichi finally answered in a rush of breath, still looking somewhat out of it as he squeezed Sanada's hand lightly. "I'd like that."

Sanada nodded, exhaling a breath he didn't know he was holding, though inside he was smirking and jumping around in victory. He was _the man_. "I'll get to it as soon as I could."

"I…" Seiichi was still speechless. "I don't know what–" He settled on saying, cerulean eyes a still a little incredulous, making no effort to remove his hand. "I… really don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Sanada shook his head, feeling crazy and gleeful and on a high all at the same time, though it didn't show on his face. "I'm happy to do this for you." He said with sincere honesty, and in one endorphin filled moment, closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to a reddened cheek, at the same time nicking one of the stems in the bins and slipping in a single white flower into Seiichi's hair.

"That was payback for last time." He whispered as he drew away, too emboldened to feel anything but complete giddiness. The contact only lasted for a few second but it felt like an eternity, and Sanada could now relish the way the smooth skin felt under his capped lips, the way it became warmer under his touch.

His decision was _damn_ well worth it.

Sanada pulled away and gave a small, crooked smile, resisting the urge to run around in circles and yelling at the top of his lungs when he saw that Seiichi was immobile, only touching his cheek with his fingers. He looked adorably flustered, his face now the shade of red his flowers were. _Now_ he was sure that the flower girl was interested in him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He gave a small nod and wandered away, well aware that he had left his flower girl completely flushed and staring after him. He walked, back straighter, more confident now, with a slight bounce in his step as he allowed a smirk to finally appear on his face.

He had a date to look forward to.

_Fuck yeah. _

* * *

><p>... Our monthsary has just passed and maybe I'll tell you all about it once I've got the time to write about it. But there's one thing I could tell you.<p>

Rei came to our house on the day wearing a black cap and telling me that I'm tarundoru because I haven't dressed up yet for our outing together.

I really couldn't find the words to say anything after that.

_**Mitsukai20**_


End file.
